Messengers approve six resolutions, including one on the office of pastor

Orland Park | Messengers took up the role of pastors and stronger marriages in a presentation from the Resolutions and Christian Life Committee Wednesday afternoon at the IBSA Annual Meeting. Recent discussions on the office of pastor and the role of women in the church have caused much controversy and vitriol extending even to the floor of the June 2024 Southern Baptist Convention. However, Illinois Baptists passed the Resolution on the Office of Pastor/Elder/Overseer with only a brief discussion taking place regarding the office of deacon.

In all, six resolutions were presented, and all six were approved. They included a resolution of appreciation for the host church, two recognized significant anniversaries within the Southern Baptist Convention, and another encouraged unity following the tense presidential election.

The Resolution on the Office of Pastor/Elder/Overseer recognized the autonomy of churches while affirming the role of pastor is “to be male, recognizing this as rooted in the order of creation and the fall” as indicated in 1 Timothy 2:12-14 while also affirming the ministry of women in the church. The full text of the resolution appears below.

While the Resolution on the Commitment to Strong and Successful Marriages encouraged and celebrated strong marriages within the church, it also urged pastors and leaders to take this commitment seriously when counseling and advising couples in marriage.

There was some discussion from the floor regarding the resolution. Messengers voted to amend it to add verse 21 to Ephesians 5 in the third “Resolved.” See the entire resolution below.

The Resolution on Unity in the Church, Community, and Home following the 2024 Election sought to bring unity, hope, and cooperation among Illinois and other believers following the turbulent election season. The resolution noted that as believers our hope should be based on Christ, not on political parties or people.

Both the Cooperative Program and the Baptist Faith & Message will celebrate their 100^th Anniversaries in 2025. Messengers approved the resolutions to recognize the significant contributions of both to Southern Baptist life.

The Resolution on the Centennial Anniversary of the SBC Cooperative Program gave recognition to how the “Cooperative Program has provided a comprehensive funding mechanism for like-minded Baptist churches to support missions in all the world, all the time, at the same time;”

It highlighted how, over the last 100 years, the “biblical principle of cooperation” embodied by CP has made a “greater impact for our collaborative efforts.”

The Resolution on Continued Affirmation and Celebration of the Baptist Faith & Message as its Centennial Anniversary Approaches hailed the document for “enabl(ing) autonomous churches to partner together and advance the gospel locally, regionally, nationally, and globally in order to fulfill the Great Commission…”

In voting to approve the Resolution on Appreciation to Ashburn Baptist Church messengers “express(ed) our deepest appreciation and commit(ment) to pray for God’s continued blessing on this church as they seek to serve their community and the Lord, as he transforms lives through the power of the gospel.”

 

Resolution on the Office of Pastor/Elder/Overseer

WHEREAS, the Baptist Faith and Message, (2000, rev. 2023) affirms that a New Testament church is “an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers,” (Article VI.) and the Holy Bible, the Scriptures, are “the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried.” and

WHEREAS, Galatians 3:26-29 states that “there is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female,” recognizing that the church welcomes people who come from all ethnic backgrounds, different sociopolitical status, and both genders, and calls them all to come and find their truer identity in Christ; and

WHEREAS, the Holy Spirit bestows all believers, both men and women, with varied gifts as indicated in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 and all are encouraged to use their gifts for the building up of the church; and

WHEREAS, the early church recognized women in significant roles of service to the church, as recorded in Romans 16:1-15, Acts 18:24-26, and 1 Corinthians 16:19; and

WHEREAS, the scriptures, in Titus 1:5-9 and 1 Timothy 3:2-7, when giving the qualifications for pastors/elders/overseers use masculine language; and

WHEREAS, 1 Timothy 2:12-14 indicates that the primary authorities in the church under the headship of Christ are to be male, recognizing this as rooted in the order of creation and the fall; and

WHEREAS, the Illinois Baptist State Association recognizes autonomous churches who hold to various Baptist confessions of faith, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the messengers to the 2024 Illinois Baptist State Association Annual Meeting, November 12-13, at Ashburn Baptist Church in Orland Park, Illinois, affirm our agreement with the Baptist Faith and Message (2000, rev. 2023) that “two scriptural offices are that of pastor/elder/overseer and deacon,” and that “while both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.” And be it further

RESOLVED, that Illinois Baptists will endeavor to prayerfully encourage the service of spiritually qualified and gifted men and women in our autonomous churches within the guidance of the Scriptures’ teaching on the offices of the church.

 

Resolution on the Commitment to Strong and Successful Marriages

WHEREAS, the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 (rev. 2023) states that “God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society,” and that “Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime;” and

WHEREAS, Illinois Baptists joyfully and steadfastly rely on the Holy Bible as true and totally trustworthy, without any mixture of error; and

WHEREAS, according to the American Psychological Association, approximately 40-50% of first marriages and 60-67% of second marriages end in divorce, due to some valid, yet many other invalid and unbiblical reasons, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the messengers to the 2024 Illinois Baptist State Association Annual Meeting, November 12-13 at Ashburn Baptist Church in Orland Park, Illinois, grieve deeply the spiritual and mental anguish that families have suffered due to the current state of the institution of marriage in our country; and be it further

RESOLVED, that we encourage pastors, officiants, and other leaders of the church to take seriously their commitment to strong biblical marriages by counseling with couples before marriage in order to ensure that there is an understanding that marriage is a commitment between one man and one woman, as well as a covenant with God, to remain bound together as one flesh (Mrk. 10:8) until only death shall separate (Mrk. 10:9), and they should also determine, through such counseling, whether or not the couple should be counseled to continue forward in marriage, especially if there is evidence that there may be an issue or issues that will seriously hinder the marriage, being the voice of reason when needed, and to consider excluding themselves from the wedding when necessary; and be it further

RESOLVED, that we, as members of the body of Christ will also seek to encourage and promote strong marriages within our churches, even among those in leadership, by being vigilant to encourage couples, providing opportunities for education and growth, and by bearing one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2), and we will also take seriously our commitments within our own marriages, and seek to love and respect (Eph. 5:21-26) our spouses according to God’s description of love (1 Cor. 13:4-8); and be it finally

RESOLVED, that we will endeavor to help struggling families find peace in Christ that is beyond understanding (Phil. 4:7), love amongst the saints that is without hypocrisy (Rom. 12:9) and hope in the future where God makes all things new (Rev. 21:5)

See the complete text of all six resolutions.